Bathtub seat

ABSTRACT

A STOOL ADAPTED TO BE REMOVABLY BUT CONFORMINGLY LODGED IN A BATHTUB AND WHICH IS CONVENIENT AS WELL AS COMFORTABLE FOR USE BY HANDICAPPED, ILL AND AGED USERS WHEN TAKING A SHOWER OR A TUB BATH. IT RESEMBLES A MINIATURE BOX-LIKE BENCH. IT EMBODIES A HORIZONTAL SEAT MEMBER MARGINALLY BORDERED BY LONGITUDINAL DEPENDING FRONT AND BACK WALLS AND TRANSVERSE END WALLS BETWEEN END PORTIONS   OF THE FRONT AND BACK WALLS. INVERTED V-SHAPED NOTCHES IN THE FRONT AND BACK WALLS PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE HANDGRIPS AND WATER CIRCULATING PASSAGES. A RECESS IN THE TOP SURFACE OF THE SEAT MEMBER PROVIDES FOR DRAINAGE OF WATER.

United States Patent 3,584,320 BATHTUB SEAT Irva Locke, 573 Wood Ave., Tice, Fla. 33905 Filed Nov. 17, 1969, Ser. No. 877,230 Int. Cl. A47k 3/12 U.S. Cl. 4185.5 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A stool adapted to be removably but conformingly lodged in a bathtub and which is convenient as well as comfortable for use by handicapped, ill and aged users when taking a shower or a tub bath. It resembles a miniature box-like bench. It embodies a horizontal seat member marginally bordered by longitudinal depending front and back walls and transverse end walls between end portions of the front and back walls. Inverted V-shaped notches in the front and back walls provide accessible handgrips and water circulating passages. A recess in the top surface of the seat member provides for drainage of water.

The present invention relates to a portable rectangular stool which lends itself to practical use when removably lodged in the lower part of the receptacle portion of a bathtub and which, as experience has shown, has been found to be comfortably convenient and safe for seated use by ill and aged persons and handicapped users and pertains, more particularly, to a bench of relatively low vertical height having facilities which well serve the purposes for which the stool has been perfected.

Many and varied styles and forms of bathtub chairs, stools and seats, generally stated, have been offered for bathroom use. As will be hereinafter more fully appre ciated, the present concept has to do with a feasible contribution to the art which whether classified as a stool or a bench, functions as a seat while the user is taking a shower, washing the feet and legs or bathing in such manner as, under the circumstances, may be necessary.

In carrying out the principles of the invention a structure has been perfected which lends itself to construction from wooden or equivalent components or, alternatively, from colorful lightweight moldable plastic material.

Briefly, the stool is portable, readily insertable and removable and when in position stays put in its given position at a desired locale in the receptacle portion of the bathtub. In some instances the unit has been designated as an elongate or a rectangular stool. In other instances it has been equally well identified as a bench-type seat. In any event it is small, light in weight but nevertheless sturdy. It comprises a panel or seat member which is rectangular in plan and is adapted to completely span or bridge the space between the longitudinal walls of the bathtub. The ends of this seat member can be and preferably are adapted to abut and reside in firm but removable contact with the interior walls of the bathtub. By reason of the firm contact between the ends and the tub accidental displacement and shifting of the seat is reduced to a minimum. This sea member has longitudinal forward and rearward edges which are provided wih depending elevating and supporting walls. These walls are designated as front and back lengthwise legs. In fact these walls are commensurate in length with the length of the seat member and have vertical ends which are also flush with the transverse ends of the seat member and likewise abut the interior walls of the tub. The end portions of the longitudinal walls or legs are stabilized by transverse bracing walls which are spaced inwardly from the ends of the over-all unit. The median bottom portions of the longitudinal walls are provided with water clearance notches 3,584,320 Patented June 15., 1971 which also serve as handgrips to facilitate inserting and removing the device. The rounded corner portions of the legs provide feet at the respective corner portions of the device. The median top surface of the seat member has a tapering triangular or V-shaped recess which is used for drainage purposes.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing a so-called built-in tub with the insertable and removable occupant seat lodged therein for convenient use.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view taken approximately on the plane of the section line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the bathtub seat by itself.

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of the same.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-section on the plane of the section line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a view at right angles thereto taken on the plane of the longitudinal section line 66 of FIG. 4.

It is within the purview of the concept to make the seat of one-piece construction under which circumstances it would doubtless be produced from an appropriate grade of lightweight colorful plastic material. In the form of the invention shown the parts are separate and could be made of wood and are put together in such a way that the over-all seat can be said to be of elongated channelshaped cross-section. The fact that it is of such elongated style and is open at the bottom, it can also be described as a portable insertable and removable stool or bench.

The elongated horizontal panel whose top surface is sub stantially flat, is denoted by the numeral 8 and constitutes an appropriate comfortable seat member. The longitudinal edge portions are provided with depending vertical supporting walls one of which is designated as a front leg 10 and is commensurate in length with the length of the seat member. The other wall 12 is of a corresponding construction and is referred to as a back leg. These legs or walls are arranged in spaced parallel relationship and have flat vertical terminal ends 14 which are flush with the transverse end 16 of the seat member.

It will be noted that the lower or bottom portions of the vertical edges 14 are convexly rounded as at 18 and merge into substantially flat or planar edges 20 whereby the four corner portions constitute feet. These legs and feet lend themselves to conformable placement and retention in the receptacle portion of a conventional bathtub having a pair of opposed longitudinal side walls, a rear end wall, a front end wall, and a bottom wall, FIGS. 1 and 2 in particular. The respective intermediate or median portions of the lower edges of the depending walls are provided with inverted V-shaped notches 22 which serve as handgrips and facilitate inserting and removing the seat. They also provide clearance openings for circulation or passage of water when the tub is filled or to facilitate unobstructed drainage, in the event that the user is taking the shower while in a seated posture. In addition, the median top surface of the seat member is pro vided with a transverse tapering water gravitating and draining recess 24 which facilitates drainage of water that would otherwise collect on the seat member. It will be noted in this connection that inasmuch as the com ponent parts are separate as is perhaps evident from FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, it is desirable to have reinforcing cross members 26 and 28 on the underneath or bottom of the seat member. These two components 26 and 28 (FIG. 5 in particular) provide ample thickness and permit the material to be gouged out to provide the tapering Water draining recess 24.

In addition to the features so far set forth it will be noted that the structure also embodies transverse end walls 30 (FIG. 6) which are appropriately stabilized or reinforced as at 32 and which have their lower ends spaced upwardly from the lower edges 20 and which serve to stabilize the over-all unit and are spaced inwardly from the edges 14 and 16. Accordingly, the overhanging end portions of the seat member can be and are used as convenient handles or grips. The notches 22 facilitate handling the device when it has to be removed from the tub. These unique features contribute their functions singly and collectively to the unitary construction and well serve their intended purposes.

The invention is relatively simple and understandable and its manner of use is likewise thought to be substantially self evident. Under the circumstances a more extended description is deemed to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A portable bathtub seat capable of being removably inserted for use in the receptacle portion of a conventional bathtub having a pair of opposed longitudinal side walls, a rear end wall, a front end wall, and a bottom wall and said seat comprising a horizontally elongated bench-type seat member capable of bridging the space between the side walls of the bathtub and having transverse ends capable of resting in abutting but removable contact with the interior inner surface of both side and bottom walls of the bathtub in a manner to minimize shifting and accidental displacement of said seat,

said seat member having longitudinal edges provided with,

depending vertical supporting walls which constitute front and back legs, said walls being commensurate in length with the length of said seat member and having vertical ends which also reside in abutting contact with said interior walls, said :walls having bottom edges Whose major portions are adapted to rest atop the bottom wall of the tub, whereby to permit said seat to be safely lodged in position.

2. The bathtub seat defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein the respective lower corner portions of said walls are convexly rounded, merge with said bottom edges, and define stabilizing position-retaining feet 4 conforming to the shape of the bottom and side walls of said bathtub.

3. The bathtub seat defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein the median portions of said bottom edges are formed with inverted V-shaped notches, said notches providing fingergripping areas which assist in handling the seat and also provide water circulating passages.

4. The bathtub seat defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said seat member has a median top portion provided with a transverse tapering water gravitat ing and draining recess.

5. The bathtub seat defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said seat member is provided between said front and back legs with transverse reinforcing partitions constituting end walls, said end Walls being spaced inwardly from the adjacent transverse ends of said seat member and also the vertical ends of said legs.

6. A portable occupant seat for insertable use in the receptable portion of a conventional bathtub comprising a horizontally elongated bench-type unit which is channel-shaped in transverse cross-section and embodies a seat member having front and back longitudinal edges and transverse ends, said longitudinal edges provided with spaced parallel depending Walls which serve as front and back legs and are commensurate in length with the length of said seat member, the median portions of the longitudinal bottom edges of said depending Walls having inverted V-shaped notches therein at approximately the midpoint of said longitudinal edges.

7. The portable occupant seat defined in and according to claim 6 and wherein the respective lower corner portions of the depending walls are convexly rounded and merge with planar bottom edges of said walls and conjointly define locating and positioning feet.

8. The portable occupant seat defined in and according to claim 7 and wherein a top surface of a median portion of said seat member is provided with a transverse tapering water gravitating and draining recess.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,188,534 6/1916 Corwin 4-185 1,543,238 6/1925 Sturges 4-185 2,671,908 3/ 1954 Tronic 4-185 FOREIGN PATENTS 77,529 5/1954 Denmark 4-185 0 LAVERN-E D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner D. B. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner 

